What is yeast?
Many people wonder; what is yeast exactly. This is very typical for people who are suffering from a yeast infection for the first time. This question is not quickly answered. In most of its forms, it is simply a single celled organism classed as a fungus. There are a small percentage of yeast forms that can cause infections in humans. This type of spore is known as an opportunistic pathogen. This is simply scary name for something that can be cured easily through a number of different methods.
The most common answer for ‘What is yeast used for?’ is in baking and brewing. In baking, the yeast will react with some of the ingredients and will produce a gas causing the baked item to rise and will also cause the bubbles that you see in breads. In brewing, it is used to ferment the grains used in making beers. It is for these uses that yeast is sold commercially.
Some people wonder what yeast is used for in other commercial applications. In today’s ‘going green’ world, people are trying to find green technology to use for fuel. Yeast has been increasingly used in commercial production of ethanol fuels for uses in the world’s green industry sector.
So what is yeast that we hear about in medical terms? Yeast in medical terms is most often called an opportunistic pathogen. All women have a form of yeast in their vagina. When this yeast has an opportunity to grow beyond small numbers, it can cause a yeast infection; a very uncomfortable condition for women. So what is a yeast infection? Simply an overpopulation of the yeast fungus in the vagina of women.
When people think about yeast they often don’t associate yeast to men in any way. On the contrary men are also equally vulnerable to yeast infections, and often have some of the same symptoms. You are particularly at risk if your sexual partner has had a yeast infection recently, or currently has a yeast infection. If this is the case, talk to your doctor about treatment and to find out more on what yeast is.